Fervent: Prayer Strategy Introduction

Welcome to our blog series on Prayer Strategy! Over the next several weeks we will be walking through the book Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. If you dont have the book yet, you can grab it on Amazon by clicking here!

This book outlines 10 different prayer strategies and encourages you to craft your own prayer for each strategy at the end of each chapter. In my last blog post, I mentioned that I'm writing down my prayers, plus chapter notes, in Live Oak Boutique's Heartfelt Prayers Journal. If you have the physical Fervent book, there are little cards in the back that you could use, but I found that I don't have enough space on those cards. I've got a lot to pray about I guess! Little miss chatty Cathy over here. ;)

If you dont have the book, or a journal to use, I created this printable that you can download, and make into a booklet of your own. Simply click on the image below to download. The pages are 5 x 8, so you can staple them together and make a little journal, or trim them down and add them to your current journal or war binder using washi tape!

Now then, let's dive in to the book!

Before I get into the first prayer strategy, I'd like to share a few of my takeaways from the introductory chapter, This Means War.

This is war, the fight of your life. A very real enemy has been strategizing and scheming against you, assaulting you, coming after your emotions, your mind, your man, your child, your future. In fact, he’s doing it right this second. Right where you’re sitting. Right where you are.

— Fervent, By Priscilla Shirer

Now I don't know about you, but that paragraph burns me up! More often than not, we get comfortable in our routines and we don't recognize when the enemy is at work or just how hard he is trying to bring chaos, destruction, and defeat into our lives. So how do we go to battle with the enemy? With prayer. Lots and lots of bold, determined, specific, strategic prayer. In the day-to-day, I know it can be easy to think of prayer as something to check off your to-do list or maybe it's a habit that has lost it's flame for you. I get that, and that is why I love this book. It's going to help us craft strategic and specific prayers for our lives that are grounded in biblical truth.

God has deliberately chosen this particular vehicle (prayer) as the one that drives His activity in people’s lives. It’s what He allows us to use to cooperate and partner with Him in the fulfilling of His will. Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth.

— Fervent, By Priscilla Shirer

The 10 prayer strategies that we will walk through were all chosen because they are areas of our lives where the enemy is targeting us the hardest. And as Priscilla points out in her book, the battles the enemy wages against us possess a personality to them, an intimate knowledge of who we are and the precise pressure points where we are most easily taken down. Friends, the enemy is set on destroying our hope and faith in the Lord, and He will cut right to our core and the heart of who we are, if he thinks it will get him a little closer to defeat. Now, I don't know about y'all, but there is no way I'm letting the enemy rule over my heart, my family, or my life. I don't think so! These specific and strategic prayer strategies that we will cover in the book, will give us something to fight back with! Ephesians 6:11 says, "Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies of the devil."

In the book, Priscilla mentions that most people either overestimate Satan's influence and power, or they underestimate him and don't assign him any credit at all for the difficulties he's stirring up beneath the surface of their lives. I definitely fall into the later of the two. I was unaware just how personal, deceitful, and real the schemes of the enemy are. He has manipulated my emotions, made me question my worth and purpose, and caused friction, confusion, chaos, fear, and anxiety in my heart effecting all areas of my life. And that friends, is exactly what he wants. He aims to steal, kill, and destroy. Has Satan gotten a foothold in your life? Have you had enough? If you're ready to go to battle and fight back, then you're in the right place!

Next week we will dive into the first prayer strategy, your passion for prayer. Initially I was going to include it in this post, but I think breaking the first two chapters up is a good idea. You know, cause of chatty Cathy. HA! ;)

I'm so excited to dig into this book with you. I truly hope it encourages you and helps you go to battle in prayer! Let's link arms and kick the enemy to the curb, friends!

Until next week!

Rooted in the love of Jesus, Kayla

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